Baked Veggie Dogs

Baked Veggie Dog

A veggie dog for those who like to be able to pronounce the ingredients of their food.

Ingredients

veggie dog ingredients

2cupswalnuts

1cuppinto beans

3tablespoonsliquid aminos(sub soy sauce)

3teaspoonsliquid smoke

1egg

1cupall-purpose flour

1teaspoonsalt

2teaspoonscumin

2teaspoonschili powder

2teaspoonssmoked paprika

1/2teaspoonpepper

olive oil, for greasing the pan + more for greasing your hands

optional toppings

buns

sauerkraut

Mustard

Ketchup

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350.

Put your walnuts into a food processor or high speed blender (but this will be easier in a food processor). Blend until the walnuts are very finely chopped (almost a powder).

Add in your beans, amino acids, liquid smoke, and spices. Blend until the mixture is smooth and evenly spiced.

Crack your egg and add it to the food processor. Blend until the egg is fully incorporated.

Add 1/2 cup of your flour to the food processor and blend until it is mixed in.

Transfer the contents of your food processor to a small bowl, and add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour. Mix in the flour (you can use your hands.)

Once everything is well mixed, grease a grated baking sheet with olive oil. Then grease your hands with olive oil.

Mold about 1/3 cup of your "batter" into a 6" hot dog shape. Roll in between your palms to create the perfect hot dog shape.

Do this for all of your hot dogs (it should make about 8 dogs.)

Bake them for 15-17 minutes.

Take the veggie dogs out of the oven, top with your favorite toppings and DEVOUR.

Do a quick search on Pinterest for “Vegetarian Hot Dogs.” I dare you. Okay, you don’t really have to ’cause I’m about to tell you what you will find… You’re gonna find a load of recipes that tell you to boil and marinate a carrot, and somehow magically that carrot tastes like a hot dog. Yeah, suuuurrrrreeeee it does. The other kind of recipe you will find is going to encase a bunch of ingredients into “vital wheat gluten.” So that counts out anyone who wanted to be gluten-free. (Plus it makes the recipe a million times more complicated.) And that’s it. That’s as far as the Pinterest search will go. Anything after that starts to talk about making your own hot dog buns. So here I am to save the day and fill in the gap of veggie dog recipes that is missing : actually healthy, actually made mostly of plants, not mysterious ingredients, and super simple to make. Because why not?

So yes, the texture is much less rubbery than a regular hot dog, and much more “cakey” BUT that’s because you aren’t eating mystery meat, and preservatives, and wheat gluten. Instead you are eating real ingredients. And they really do taste like hot dogs! (My hot dog loving father ate 3 for dinner! ) Here’s the basic list of ingredients:

WALNUTS

PINTO BEANS

AMINO ACIDS OR SOY SAUCE

LIQUID SMOKE

EGG

AP FLOUR (GF OR NOT)

SALT

CUMIN

CHILI POWDER

SMOKED PAPRIKA

PEPPER

That’s literally it. No mystery, nothing you haven’t heard of before. Except the liquid smoke, sometimes that one is a surprise to people. Liquid smoke is just that : liquified smokey flavor and taste (ask google how they do it – I don’t know the answer.) But I do know that you can find it in the barbecue sauce section of your grocery store. I also use it to make coconut bacon, so I think it’s worth your money. And it’s absolutely necessary in this recipe to obtain your hot dog flavor.

Since the dogs basically consist of walnuts and pinto beans, you are gonna get a ton of protein from these guys! They will fill you up without making you feel greasy and bloated and gross. Plus, it only takes 20 minutes in the oven to bake ’em. So you can easily do that while you put other things on the grill, or you can skip the grill all together and have so much less to clean up!

The other thing I would say about this hot dog is that because the texture is already slightly “cakey” – you can try serving it bunless! All the same toppings, but so much less starch. Equally as delicious. (And the bothersome health conscious at your cookout will thank you a million for this option.)

But no matter if you do it bun-less or kraut-less, these veggie dogs are sure to please the whole crowd. (Including the meat eaters like my dad.) And I promise it won’t take more than 30 minutes – start to finish. Summer is solved.